The soft glimmer of hope
by Fluffymausi-chan
Summary: I could see nothing other than smoke. It engulfed me and trapped me, inside a fire, I call living hell. Is there still hope left? - Fili
1. The soft glimmer of hope

_Hello there. Recently I watched the second Hobbit-movie and it left me speechless. It really was a great movie and although I know a few people that still argue about love-scenes and other little details, this was by far one of the best movies I have seen so far. So I was looking up stories here on fanfiction and thought that it would be a good idea to share some of my thoughts with all of you. So please be aware that there will be Spoilers of the second movie!_

_I listened to the soundtrack of Gandalfs fall in the Lord of the Rings, it always gets me on the verge of tears._

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, they belong to the great master Tolkien and Peter Jackson._

_Now, enough with my rambling._

_Have fun_

_- Your FMC_

* * *

**The soft glimmer of hope**

He did not know how they had ended up like this. Never, in all his darkest nightmares he would have ever imagined something like this. Never.

He tried to stand up from where he sat in the remains of the house that had belonged to Bard the boatman. Nothing much was left but still burning pieces of wood and black smoke that fled in the darkness of the night. Without them.

He could hear the people of Laketown screaming in fear and agony. How many had already fallen? Those were no fighters, just ordinary people that lived far away from wars and monsters. But what did peace of people mattered to him? To Smaug…?

As he looked around, he felt as if time was going slow, as if he had to remember every single detail about the whole disaster that happened right in front of his very eyes. He had never been in a war, nor did he feel the need to, but he could imagine that this right now would be by far the most sorrowful scenario he would ever remember.

Houses were crashing in the depth of the lake, taking a few more lives with them to the bottom in the darkness of the oblivion. What once had been a village full of life and people that despite their miserable situation, had always found a reason to smile. Now there were just screams and fire. Above the death that caught so many innocent souls flew the creator of all the chaos with large wings, angry eyes and a voice that screamed the same sentence over and over again.

"I will show you revenge!"

He did not know what the monster was talking about but it did not matter to him. Suddenly a new breath of fire made its way in his direction. At the last second he found a large piece of wood that he used as a shield against the fire, but ended up getting burned nevertheless. He would have budged if he would have had the chance to, but there was no way he could do that in his current state. He tried to black out his pain in his legs. Looking down while gritting his teeth he tried again to free his legs from the rubble that had him trapped but to no avail. Sinking against one of the last wooden pillars he tried to catch his breath while looking up at the sky that was clouded by fire and smoke.

He had no idea where his brother was. His heart felt heavy when he thought back when their reunion had been interrupted brutally by fire and the plan for vengeance. Kili had just woken up when the house had been smashed by a giant tale. The last thing he could remember was that the she-elf had stepped in front of Kili to shield him from whatever would come their way. That was his job... Shaking his head with a bitter smile, he closed his eyes. He would have been no help to his dear brother in his current state. He could just hope that they were all alright. Not only his brother and Tauriel but also their dwarf friends Bofur and Oin as well as the children of Bard. A dark shadow flew over his head and he held his breath. It was stupid. Even if Smaug would not kill him with one of his fire breaths, there was still fire everywhere and he felt the temperature around him rise already with every small breath he took.

Turning his head to one side he tried to make out the Lonely Mountain. Their destination. Their kingdom. Their home. Did his uncle and the others fail? Was this the reason Smaug was here now and causing havoc?

Again he felt his heart sink in his chest. Sorrow and fear took over and for the first time for his already long life, he felt the urge to cry. Had all this been for nothing? Why was all this happening now? Even if he had wanted to supress it, he could not stop one tear that rolled over his dirty cheek and leaving a cold trail behind. Suddenly he felt there was no air left; every breath he took filled his lungs with smoke and fear. He was scared. Just when he was about to lose his sense, he heard someone coughing.

He wanted to say something, he wanted to scream for help but his mouth was dry and his lungs hurt from the smoke and the cold nightair that bit his eyes. Summoning his last strength he ignored his raspy throat and screamed, while ignoring the fact that he would make himself a perfect target for the dragon that was still looming over the burning city and hiding the moon.

The cough had stopped for a second and Fili held his breath, scared that if he would let it go, the person would flee. But after what felt like centuries, he heard someone coming closer until he came face to face with that person. A sigh of relief left his chapped lips and was taken away by the nightwind to the glowing stars beyond the smoke.

"Master Fili!"

As if she had just now recognized him, she ran towards him. He could see her limping a little and although he wanted to ask her if she was alright, she beat him to it. Kneeling beside him while analysing the situation, she cleared her throat which must have hurt like his own.

"Can you still feel your legs?"

He was not one to joke in this situation. His brother would likely make a stupid comment. Something about his legs not running away or that pain would only come for little princesses. Kili… He felt fear creeping up his toes again in order to reach his heart.

"Yes, a little."

His voice sounded hoarse and with every intake of air the smoke burned in his lungs and his eyes. To distract himself from the pain in his legs and the smoke-filled air, he eyed the young woman that was pondering over his current situation.

What was her name again? Sigrid… Her bun was loose and her face was dark from the ashes that rained from the sky. She had a cut on her left cheek and her hands looked as if she had had to free herself from something because her fingers were littered with cuts and bruises. Her dress was burned at a few places and she looked as if the only thing that kept her going was the adrenaline that pumped through her veins from the shock.

Before he could ask her about the others, she began to free him from the rubble as fast as she could. Who knew when Smaug would appear again? He tried to help her as best as he could, all the while thinking about his brother and his friends. It gave him strength he needed right now. From the corner of his eyes he looked at her from time to time. She was taking deep breaths, probably from exhaustion and her eyes darkened. Suddenly he asked himself, if he had ever seen her smile, since they had met. Her look had always been stern and mature, as if she was already twice her age, but he knew better. Those were the eyes of a child that had to mature fast in order to protect and care for younger siblings.

Sympathy rose in his still burning chest and as she was taking another deep breath, he gave her a thankful smile. It might look ridiculous, seeing as he was still not free and still did not know if their friends were all alright, but he could care less.

She looked surprised at first, probably because it looked kind of stupid but after a while she offered him a smile in return. There were no words, just two people understanding each other and offering support in form of a smile. At the moment, the screams of the townpeople sounded far away and the roar of the dragon was nothing more than a harmless thunder in the distance. He could be called stupid for those thoughts for all he cared. He suddenly knew, that it was still not over.

Looking at the young human woman who was again throwing wooden planks and charred pieces of furniture away from the pile of rubble that still covered his legs, he nodded to himself before helping her as fast as he could. He knew that there was still hope. It was small, nothing but a light glim in a smoke-filled future, but it was worth giving it a try.

When they had finally freed him from his cage, they made their way through the still burning city that drifted on the dark lake. It would not stand much longer and sooner or later it would sink into the abyss of the oblivion. Sigrid tried hard not to cry while she was supporting him on his still aching legs. They both looked around, still hoping that they would find a clue about their friends and family, while also praying that no one of the dead bodies that crossed their path was one of them. The smell of burned flesh and ashes burned in their noses and as she was beginning to shiver, he hugged her closer to himself.

"Don't look. Just keep walking. I will lead the way.", he whispered in her ear in the most soothing manner he could manage with his aching throat.

She didn't say anything but he knew that she was grateful for his help. So they kept on going through the remains of the once so brilliant Laketown. In the distance they could hear the last roar of the retreating dragon. As he left, the moon crept from behind the clouds of ashes and smoke, illuminating the battlefield. Silence had fallen upon them and just as Sigrid was about to ask him, about their friends and family, they could hear a faint call. Not too far away, they could see them on a boat, coming closer.

The hope had turned into a small flame.

* * *

_I hope you liked it. Yeah I know, the character combination is somewhat strange but whatever, they would surely make good friends or something more, it's up to your imagination. If you find any mistakes, please let me know._

_See you._

_- Your FMC_


	2. The right thing to do

_Actually I did not plan to write another chapter for that oneshot, because, well it was a oneshot, but I couldn't help myself. Thank you for reviewing my last chapter, it made me happy that there were a few people interested in this. :) I don't know if I will write a continuation!_

_This chapter might feel heavy but to me it would only seem logical after what had happened in Laketown. (SPOILER FOR THE SECOND MOVIE!)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, they belong to the great master Tolkien and Peter Jackson. _

_I hope you like it. Enjoy!_

* * *

**The right thing to do**

Cold wind was the messenger that winter was coming. On icy wings, the cold season was fast approaching the lands of Middle-Earth. It stood in a strange contrast to the still burning city that was once called Laketown. The only thing that reminded him of it was the gate of the bridge that was still somehow intact, as well as the remains of the houses which now looked more like a dark skeleton than a city. Back in more prosperous days, that name Laketown had had weight, but right now, it was clear that those would only stay memories, covered in ashes and soaked in tears.

His eyes drifted from the charred remains to the survivors that were coming from the docks. Men and women who hugged their children, as if they were the last support on earth. Their faces showed nothing but pain, fear and despair. The silent air was only disturbed by weeping because of lost family members, friends and homes they could never return to. Within one night, they had lost everything. Just a few hours and everything was gone in a storm of fire coloured by the screams of dying people.

Watching them, he felt his heart sink. He had once thought that he would only encounter such faces in a war, when all hope was gone, but he would never have thought that he would be among survivors of a dragon attack. Had his kin also looked like this when they had lost their home in the mountain? Even though these here were men and no dwarfs, he could not shake off the feeling of sympathy that rose in his still burning chest. But he could not voice his thoughts, because they would bring no compassion but only pain.

With great sadness Fili leant on a boulder, to support himself on his still aching legs. He breathed heavily and his muscles hurt from the tension and the strength he had to muster in order to escape the hell that had taken place in the city on the now silent lake. With heavy lidded eyes he searched his dear brother. He found him not too far away from himself, with the she-elf at his side. Tauriel stood out with her appearance and the duo looked beyond funny with their height-difference, but it did not bother them, as she supported him with an encouraging smile. How was she able to smile after witnessing such a chaos only a few hours ago? Examining her face a little more, he was surprised to see that beyond the light smile, she gave his brother, there was also fatigue and sadness visible in her eyes. It seemed that she was only smiling for his brother's sake. Kili either didn't seem to notice or respected her too much, to voice his thought.

Behind them he could see Bofur and Oin, who also looked tired and with deep frowns behind their beards and wild hair. It might not be strange for Oin not to smile all the time, but to see the ever joyful looking Bofur in such a depressing state was something entirely different. It saddened him even more because it made it clearer that this was no dream at all. (Even though his aching legs reminded him every second that he was still alive and not sleeping.)

His gaze drifted to Bard and his family. The expression of the boatman was grim with anger, hatred and sadness. Fili could somehow understand the man as he had already been in a village that had been attacked by the same dragon. How must he feel after witnessing the same scenario after losing a home already through the same cause? Those thoughts ran through Fili's mind and he felt a headache approaching. Watching the men passing him by as if time had slowed down so he could remember every single face scarred with fear and agony. Children clinging to their mothers or fathers with tears running down their already red cheeks to disappear in the clothes or hair of their family members, while the adults were silently weeping. A few had wanted to stay behind, still hoping that their loved ones would come out of the water, back into their arms. Every single argument about orcs coming to haunt them down or death through hunger and the approaching cold fell on deaf ears. Fili had to force himself to leave them, as his brother and the other dwarfs needed him. Was this the responsibility his uncle had to carry around every day? He felt as if was close to suffocation with all what had happened and the urge to stay strong for the others. Was this the responsibility of a king? His future? A chill rolled down his spine and he knew that this was not because of the dropping temperatures.

The last one he knew had come into sight. Sigrid was following her father with her siblings tagging along. He originally had no intention to gaze at her longer than needed, but there was something about her that hindered him from looking away. She somehow stood out in the crowd of mourning people. It might be because she held her head high and there was no sign of sadness or fear in her eyes. He knew that she was frightened and that she was also sorrowful like all the others of her kin, but she did not show it. She put up a brave façade and he knew that she did it for her younger siblings and perhaps also for her father. Her sister was gripping her hand while crying softly and her brother looked at the ground. Dejected. Looking back to her, he found her watching him for a split second before looking ahead again and following the rest of her people. Had it been his imagination? Or because of his exhaustion? He could have sworn that he had seen her eyes shining in relief when she had laid her eyes on his. Must be because of his tiredness.

He wanted to close his eyes for a second to catch his breath and to ban all bad thoughts from his mind in order not go insane, when a commotion brought him back to reality. He knew that voice. Scanning the area he found Oin standing in front of a woman that had a child tightly in her arms.

"Let me look at your child. I am a doctor and might help him."

The woman looked beyond frightened, but there was also something that became visible after hearing the dwarf voicing his concern. Hatred.

"Help? What help?", she shrieked and it looked as if she was close to hyperventilate, all the while hugging the child to her chest.

"It's all because of you! You dwarfs had woken up that monster that took my husband and my daughter!"

Sobs shook her fragile body. All the others had stopped walking and even those who had gone ahead had turned back to look at them. Suddenly there was a tension in the air and everyone could feel it. It felt as awful as the smoke that had burned their lungs a few hours ago. Bofur laid a hand on the shoulder of the older dwarf, urging him to leave the woman with her still not moving child in her arms, because he could as well as the others feel the sudden change of emotion. There was no sadness any longer as it had made room for hatred.

Although Oin felt reluctant to leave the child, he knew that his friend was right. They wanted to continue going when the woman broke down screaming from the top of her lungs.

"It's all your fault! I hate you! I hate you filthy scum! Why did the dragon not kill all of you so we could have lived in peace…"

"What did you say?", Oin growled. Even without his acoustic instrument, he had heard the insults loud and clearly and it made his blood boil. No one dared to say something like this! From that moment on everything happened in a blink of an eye. As fast as he could, Fili made his way to the two dwarfs to stand in between them and the still crying woman who knelt on the ground.

"Oin. Bofur. Let's go."

Both, especially Oin, did not look as if it sit right with him to leave without making his point clear, but a look in the now serious face of the usually grinning Fili made him stop in his tracks only to growl some curses in Khuzdul. Bofur gave Fili a nod with a relieved sigh before following Oin. Fili wanted to do the same as he turned his gaze away from the still sobbing woman when he found himself face to face with Bard. (Although the man had to look down at the blond dwarf.)

The man wore an ice-cold expression as he fixated his gaze on the dwarf in front of him.

"Do you think that with this little scene of yours, you could be forgiven? I had warned you about Smaug and you still had to go to the cursed mountain just because of that gold. You dwarves with your sick desire for cold have cost many innocent lives! Just because of your selfishness you made us all homeless. Is this fair? Robbing our homes from us, so that we also have nowhere to return to? You filth!"

Bard had screamed the last words at the face of the dwarf, who was just looking at him without any sign of emotion. From the corner of his eye he could see Kili wanting to come at his brother side and Tauriel as well as the other dwarfs getting into a fighting stance, when he raised his hand and shook his head. This time he would take responsibility. Playtime was over. He gave Bard a stern look, something he had always admired of his uncle.

"Do not accuse us for something that had never been our intention. Do you really think that my kin would sink so low as to destroy a village just because of gold? To let you suffer something we had to live through every day? Our intention was to get back our home and never to hurt your people. Don't you dare to call as filth, Man!"

His voice had been dangerously low and he paid attention not to lose his cool in front of the man who was now visibly shaking with anger. Fili would not move and let the boatman badmouth his kin any further. He would stand his ground, whatever would come his way.

But he did not see that coming.

A fist collided with his chin and he stumbled back from the force of it, nearly tripping over the still cowering woman who screeched again before crawling away. Kili was yelling his brother's name over and over again and wanted to come closer to help him, but Tauriel held him back. He was about to argue with her when she nodded to Fili, who was looking their way, only to give them another serious glare. He did not want the others to interfere, as it would only aggravate the situation. So he got up, wiped the blood on his burst lip on his sleeve and straightened his shoulders, waiting for the next hit that came faster than expected. His still hurting legs were screaming in pain and his sore arms felt heavy, but he was still getting up, taking each blow without yelping.

"Fight back, dwarf!", Bard shouted angrily, but Fili did neither answer nor fought back.

His brother screamed in protest and it cost Tauriel a huge amount of strength to hold him back and neither Bofur nor Oin looked comfortable with this plan and gripped their weapons in a fierce iron grip, ready to interfere as fast as possible if needed. The other people had come back and there were encouraging shouts to Bard to kill the dwarf, to let him suffer for all that had happened. The roar of hatred and blood-thirst grew with every second, until the tension reached its peak. Bruises covered his arms and face, but Fili was still getting up. Although he swayed slightly, he tried to get into his fighting stance. His knees shook from exhaustion and pain and he had to grit his teeth in order not to fall. This was not only a matter of pride but he had to show them, that he would not sink so low as to fight the man. He would endure this pain and let them see what dwarves were made of. That his kin was good.

But even though his motives were of strong will, his body was not willing to withstand the pain any longer. His knees gave in and his heavy breathing was so loud, he could no longer hear the roar of the hate-filled people around him. The blood rushed in his ears and even the anxious screams of his brother sounded far away. Looking up with heavy lidded eyes he saw Bard raising his already bleeding fist again to give him a last blow to the head, when it suddenly became quiet.

His eyelids fluttered but he could still make out the outlines of someone kneeling in front of him. Silence had fallen upon the circle and even Kili had become quiet. Using his remaining strength to open his eyes he came face to face with a young woman. She did not say anything and just gave him a quick once-over before helping him up. He felt as if they were back in the destroyed Laketown again where she had also been the one helping him.

"Sigrid. What are you doing?"

Bard sounded breathless from his one-sided fight and the anger that was still evident on his flushed face and now only aggravated by his daughter getting in his way.

She did not answer her father but carefully supported the dwarf and brought him out of the circle. Fili limped and had trouble using his legs, but she did not let go of him and pulled him up every time he was about to fall. He noticed he had held his breath the entire time while being surrounded by the angry mob. A relieved sigh left his lips as well as a whispered "Thank you.." that did not go unnoticed by Sigrid, who gave him nothing more than a small smile.

Behind them they could hear Bard calling his daughter again and again, but she did not look back.

* * *

_I know this might sound rather cheesy and not very logical that it is Sigrid stepping up to her father, but in my opinion it's because, she is the daughter of Bard, that she has the courage to get in his way. I did not want to add another romantic detail other than the smile, which you also can interpret as something friends would do. _

_Also I wanted to make Fili a little more like his uncle, who I believe he admires a lot. He is the next one after Thorin for the throne so here was his chance to prove himself worth for it. I think he passed the test ;)_

_Still, I hope you like it. _

_- Your FMC_


	3. Reasons to smile

_Hello there,  
_

_I am back with another chapter, which might be the last for a long time for now, as exams are coming up. _

_This one might be more romantic or friendship-like, but it's up to you to decide that. I want to take the chance to **thank you** all for your kind reviews and for following my story. It really makes me happy. :)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, they belong to the great master Tolkien and Peter Jackson._

_I hope you like it, enjoy! _

_- Your FMC_

* * *

**Reasons to smile**

The first snowflakes had been caught in his blond hair, only to be blown away a few seconds later by the cold wind. He followed them with his gaze. The last sunrays had disappeared in the West and with the sun gone; the cold was creeping up from the floor with the growing shadows. The survivors had made their camp at the edge of the dark forest of Mirkwood but even though they all needed a rest after all that had happened the past hours, no one seemed to be able to catch some sleep. Originally they had wanted to make their camp further down but because they did not know if Smaug would return to cause havoc again, they had opted for the second choice although they knew that the forest also contained its share of possible dangers.

They had made only a few fires as to not draw too much attention, which resulted in many people shivering because of the cold. He mustered them for afar, leaning on a tree trunk, glad not being so sensitive to the cold as the Men. His brother, although still weak and obviously tired from the long walk, was sitting with Tauriel and the other dwarves around their one fire a little secluded from the others under a large oak tree. Kili was leaning on the she-elf who gave him a warm smile but he could see that she was tense because of their location. He did not know why she had come back: if it was only because of his brother or because of the orcs, but he was still grateful to have her in their rows, not only because of her fighting skills but she was also a huge help to Kili, even though he would never say that aloud.

His gaze drifted over Oin and Bofur who were talking under their breath and judging by the constant look at the Erebor not too far way, he could already tell what they had in mind. Shouldn't they depart as fast as possible to the Lonely Mountain? To help his uncle and their friends against that dragon? Looking down at his bandaged hands he sighed. He would be of no help in his current state and neither would his brother, who was still awfully pale. After his little encounter with Bard, his brother had yelled at him for being irresponsible and stupid, but he could only give him a smile. Those were the moments; he realized that his brother was still too young for all of this. But he could understand his concern for he always worried the same about his reckless brother.

It was not like him to sit apart from his brother and the other dwarves and especially the fire that would sooth his still aching muscles and his bruises, but he needed to sort his thoughts out before joining them. It had taken him one night to feel he had aged 70 years. Was this because of the weight of responsibility? He was not sure but he knew that the last events had scarred him for the rest of his life. The fear of losing his brother as well as his friends and the fight against an angry man who had lost his home were now notched in his memories like dwarf-runes on a tombstone.

Another sight escaped his still busted lip and he closed his eyes for a second, when he was suddenly startled by steps approaching him. He could imagine who was coming, but was surprised when Tauriel was standing next to him. She looked exhausted and still restless, perhaps because of the forest.

"Your brother is constantly nagging me to bring you over. He would have done it himself but his leg needs to rest and I am running out of arguments to hold him down."

Fili grinned. That sounded like something his brother would do.

"Forgive me for I have left you alone with this heavy burden with no beard."

She seemed to relax because of his joke and he realized that this was the first time they were actually talking to each other. Although he had been suspicious about her, for she was an elf, he had forgotten every prejudice when he had seen how she had healed his brother. This was a woman who had made her choice and had stayed behind to heal a dwarf. Nothing mattered beside that. No race. No age.

"I will come in a few seconds but I don't think you will have problems convincing him."

She must have noticed the teasing glint in his eyes for she only shook her head to return to the campfire, leaving him in a more comfortable silence which was only disturbed by Bofur's laughs because of Kili's and Tauriel's bickering.

Shaking his head over the strange couple, he closed his eyes for a few moments before joining them when he felt another presence not too far away from him. Opening his eyes and instantly reaching for his sword, he turned to the person who had sneaked up on him, only to come face to face with a slightly scared Sigrid. She had backed away a few steps as to avoid being slashed by the dwarf, who instantly put his sword away, gritting his teeth when he noticed that a few wounds had reopened because of his sudden move.

"Forgive me."

He had wanted to add that he felt bad for scaring her but he had a feeling, that she would deny her sudden fear, so he kept silent.

She straightened her shoulders and came closer. He could see that she was still tense. Even though everyone around them looked close to fainting because of exhaustion and hours of crying, she still looked fine. But it seemed like another brave façade of her. There was no way he could look behind her mask of pride on her face.

"I just wanted to take a look at your wounds."

Fili looked down at his arms again to raise and show her the bandages. She looked surprised and there was also something he could not quite put his finger on.

"Thanks but there's no need. Oin has already treated them.", he smiled, appreciating her offer.

She nodded while constantly looking at his eyes, before biting her lip and looking away when he was about to catch her gaze. It was then that he realized that her question had been more than simple courtesy. She had wanted to talk to him.

"I see. Have a good rest."

She turned and was about to disappear in the darkness when he called her name. Sigrid looked back over her shoulder and it could be the dark playing a trick on his mind, but he swore he saw her face relaxing with relief when she came back to him.

He offered her a place next to him on the root of the tree which she accepted with a nod. As she sat next to him, he leant back against the trunk to gaze at the stars again. Sigrid followed his gaze and did the same. They stayed in comfortable silence for a while, when she finally took her courage and broke the quietness.

"You will leave tomorrow? To the mountain?"

He chuckled quietly which earned him a surprised look from the young woman. Was she a mind reader?

"Honestly? I was just thinking about that when you came."

She looked back to the stars to avoid his eyes because she knew that it had been her fault for sneaking up to a warrior and distracting him. Fili did the same and a sigh escaped his lips.

"That was our plan. I don't know if my uncle and the others are still alive but even if they had found death in our old halls, I will not rest until that dragon finds his doom through my sword."

It was a foolish thought, as a dragon could only be killed by a black arrow, but she did not dare remind him of that fact. He turned his face to her with a tired smile.

"It may sound stupid that we want to conquer that mountain and kill that dragon, as we are only a few dwarves.."

He faced the stars again, feeling her eyes examining his profile.

"But that's the only thing we have left. My ancestors lived there and brought much gold to the surface to provide for my kin. I just want to see the great halls once in my life. I want to see where my kin has lived before all the fire had fallen upon them."

His voice had dropped and was nothing more than a whisper. Sigrid kept quiet, still looking at him as if she was trying to memorize his face.

Eventually her eyes strayed up to the stars.

"It's not foolish to feel homesick."

Homesick.

"You might be right…", he whispered deep in thought.

He did not want to press that matter further as she herself had lost her home only hours ago. Silence had again fallen upon them and when he saw her shivering in her dress and simple coat, he sat closer to her to provide her with some warmth. Sigrid did not seem to mind at all. If he dared to say, she looked even content with the close proximity.

"It might surprise you, but we dwarves are extremely hot-blooded."

She laughed silently at his joke, still watching the night sky.

"I have to disappoint you, for that was the first I have noticed about your kin."

It had been the first time hearing her laugh and although the circumstances might not call for a laugh, he knew that it might help to cope with everything. She turned back to him, questions about his kin on her lips, but they all died at the sight of him. He smiled gently at her and suddenly every thought had escaped her mind. Fili ignored his aching muscles and caressed her cheek with great care as if not to hurt her with his calloused fingers.

"Never forget how to laugh."

His voice was nothing more than a deep rumble. Something you would hear under a mountain only to freeze in admiration of the sound. She realized that she held her breath and was about to let it go, to say something, anything, when she could hear her father calling her name from afar.

Fili stood up to stretch his sore muscles the best he could without worsening his wounds, before offering her a hand to get up, which she took without hesitation. They stood in front of each other and he could see that she had not said everything that was on her mind. He felt bad for not telling her, that he had decided to leave early the next morning to complete their quest but there was no way he could tell her that right now. Not after hearing her laugh.

"Be safe, Sigrid."

She looked confused and seemed to notice that something was wrong, but she did not ask, instead she gave him one last genuine smile before vanishing in the dark.

"You too, Master Fili."

His muscles might hurt and his body might feel tired but as he made his way to his brother and the others, the greatest pain came from his heart, that ached for letting something go, that had been a treasure itself.

* * *

_Yeah it's rather cheesy at the end, but I can imagine Fili, being such a fine dwarf, that he doesn't want to sadden Sigrid. I must say that writing about her is really difficult as we have only seen very few scenes about her and I don't know if I am making her OOC, but well it can't be helped. Same goes for Fili, who unfortunatley had only a few moments of screentime, but well it gives enough room for our imagination, don't you think?_  
_For all the Tauriel/Kili- fans out there, I think that they make a really great couple, and well I am glad that Peter Jackson put such a fine elf in the movie. I hope you liked the little moments I wrote of them in my story. _

_Thank you for giving my story a try!_

_- Your FMC_


End file.
